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‘Birthday Boys’ Bring Their Sketch Comedy to Ithaca College

ITHACA, NY — Their television show has been compared to “Saturday Night Live” and “Monty Python’s Flying Circus,” and they will be bringing at least a part of it to Ithaca College. Three members of the Birthday Boys sketch comedy troupe will hold a screening and discussion on Thursday, Nov. 14, at 5 p.m. in Park Hall Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public.

Airing Friday nights at 10:30 p.m. on the IFC (formerly Independent Film Channel) network, “The Birthday Boys” premiered in October to favorable reviews — the Los Angeles Times called it “very good…engagingly twisted, more invested in ideas than jokes, often funny, usually admirable.”

While all but one of the seven Birthday Boys graduated from Ithaca College’s Roy H. Park School of Communications, it wasn’t until separately moving to L.A. that they began to embrace their comedic talent by joining the Upright Citizens Brigade improv group.

The Birthday Boys was official “born” as an ensemble in 2007, quickly finding a local fan base and drawing the attention of emerging comedy writer/producer/director Bob Odenkirk. He and Ben Stiller serve as executive producers of “The Birthday Boys.”